{"id":300499,"date":"2017-03-09T14:24:02","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T14:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=300499"},"modified":"2017-03-09T14:24:02","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T14:24:02","slug":"couple-detained-in-uae-for-sex-outside-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/03\/couple-detained-in-uae-for-sex-outside-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple ‘detained in UAE for sex outside marriage’"},"content":{"rendered":"
A South African man and his Ukrainian fiancee have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for unlawful sex, a relative says.<\/p>\n
Emlyn Culverwell\u201a 29, and Iryna Nohai, 27, were reportedly arrested after a doctor discovered Ms Nohai, who had stomach cramps, was pregnant.<\/p>\n
They were arrested for sex outside of marriage, which is illegal in the UAE.<\/p>\n
Mr Culverwell’s mother has pleaded for their release, saying “the only thing they did wrong was fall in love”.<\/p>\n
South Africa’s foreign ministry has said that it is not able to help the couple as this is a matter of domestic UAE law, News24 reports.<\/p>\n
The South African government has advised the couple to get legal assistance, the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says.<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from the UAE government.<\/p>\n
Mr Culverwell and Ms Nohai have reportedly been held since January, but news of their detention has only emerged now.<\/p>\n
Mr Culverwell has been working in the UAE for the past five years.<\/p>\n
His mother Linda told News24 that the family is “trying to get messages to the two to say we love them and that they shouldn’t be worried”.<\/p>\n
The couple have not yet been charged as the authorities are still carrying out tests, Mrs Culverwell added.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, they could face a long jail sentence.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A South African man and his Ukrainian fiancee have been detained in the United Arab Emirates for unlawful sex, a relative says. Emlyn Culverwell\u201a 29, and Iryna Nohai, 27, were reportedly arrested after a doctor discovered Ms Nohai, who had stomach cramps, was pregnant. They were arrested for sex outside of marriage, which is illegal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[3],"yoast_head":"\n